Monday, July 20, 2009

I did not expect preaching on this chapter could be so important for my soul. I took 2 youth services to complete John chapter 10, & on both those Saturday nights, I found myself crying myself to sleep as I reflect upon the words of Jesus. It was as if I was part of the audience, as if I was preaching to myself - only that the words sunk in hours after the service.

On a personal level, 2 things really got hold of me. Firstly, is how much Jesus values my life. In verse 3 & 4, Jesus said that He, the Good Shepherd, calls us by name & goes before us. Verse 29 & 30 paints a picture of us as a gift so precious that both The Father & The Son are united towards the efforts of ensuring that this gift is never snatched out of their hands. These verses tell me that my life, my very existence is extremely precious to Him; that we are not random accidents or the result of the Big Bang, but clearly created, chosen & called unto His purposes.

Secondly, are the many provisions He has given unto us. Verse 17 & 18 basically tells us that Jesus had the right, the authority, & the freedom to whatever He wanted to do - yet being in perfect oneness with the Father, He chose to die for our salvation & freedom. He wanted us to enjoy the abundant life so badly, that He willingly laid down His own. And through the perfect sacrifice by the perfect One, we receive our son ship, & all good things as our inheritance. He empowers us with all these things, because He wants us to unleash the potential He has placed in us - & thus fulfilling the purposes He has set for our lives.

Having these truths, how can we not view our lives differently? Trials, difficulties, circumstances of past & present - in all of it, He's there. No wonder Paul could boldly write Romans 8: 30 - 39.

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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About Me

Want to play the guitar very badly, and I do / express myself through creative writing and playing soccer / love a good joke / love to drink sarsi / am a sucker for interesting metaphors / am a great pretender / seek for truth / am in great need of grace /